Wire-fabric machine.



PATENTBD AUG. 8, 1905.

C. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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No. 796,663. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. G. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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G. M. LAMB. WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14: 1904.

fl j ,w/ A? 16 WA 11 7 W16 EEEE No. 796,663. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. C. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MAGHINE.

APPLIOATION rum) mm: 14, 1904.

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No. 796,668. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. I

G. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MAGHINB. 1 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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0; M. LAMB. WIRE FABRIC MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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1* ?5 5-. 0%4/263" Jfjfm No. 796,663. PATBNTED AUG. 8, 1905.

' G. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED mm: 14, 1904.

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No. 796,663. PATBNTED AUG. 8, 1905.

C. M-LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 14, 1904.

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MI IHI" Agar/4m)?! 101/201 PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

0. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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0. M. LAMB. WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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PATENTED AUG-Z a, 1905.

C. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

, APPLICATION FILED mm: 14, 1904.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 13.

No; 796,663. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

- 0. M. LAMB.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1904.

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y W MOW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIRE-FABRIC MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed June 14, 1904. Serial No- 212,450.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs M. LAMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monessen, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in WVire-Fabric Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to machines for making fence comprising strandwires and stay-wires crossing the same at right angles and secured at the intersections by wrapping about the strand-wires, each stay-wire comprising a single length of wire extending across or practically across the fence. 7

Leading objects of the invention are, first, to provide a machine capable of operating simultaneously upon dilferent portions of a plurality of stay-wires in forming a fence of the character indicated, thus providing for increased output; second, to provide for a continuous movement of the fence through the machine, thereby still further increasing the capacity for output; third, to provide for the use of uncoiled stay-wires of a length sufiicient to extend completely across or nearly across the fence, and,fourth, to provide importantimprovemen ts in details of construction throughout the machine, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the preferred construction, which may be variously modified, as hereinafter suggested, I employ a plurality of rotary longitudinally-reciprocating tubular stay-wire wrappers through which the strand-wires pass and which are equipped with wrapping-heads operating generally between different transverse planes, the first two wrappers operating, however, between the same transverse planes and having opposite motions of rotation in wrapping and like motions of reciprocation and alternate wrappers (commencing with the second one) having like movements of reciprocation and like movements of rotation and the remaining alternate wrappers having like movements opposed to the movements of the first-named alternate wrappers and means for shifting the stay-wires or stays or their successively-unused portions from the initial position thereof, by successive steps, across the strand-wires to bring successive portions of each stay-wire or stay into the grasp of the several wrappers seriatz'm.

To facilitate understanding, it may be stated here that in the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings the full-length stays lie after severancefrom the spool parallel with and adjacent to the near or top strand-wire and are transferred serz'ate'm by a slide or stay-wire shifter or stay-shifter from the severing mechanism across the two top strand-wires, an end portion of each stay being bent as itmoves in turn at rightangles to the main portion thereof. Each stay is in proper turn operated upon by the first two wrappers, which simultaneouslyv wrap the upper extremity of the stay about the top strand-wire and the portion adjacent to the angle in the stay about the second strandwire, the main portion of the stay lying in a longitudinal channel at one side of the tubular second wrapper and being carried thereby about the second strand-wire. The first two wrappers move forwardly while the wrapping takes place and meet the returning third wrapper, whereupon a second slide operates to shift the unused portion of the stay parallel with itself, paying out, however, enough to cover the space between thesecond and third strand-wires. This action is repeated on across the machine until the stay has all been paid out and has been wrapped about all the strandwires. The first shifter operates over two spaces, so that the number of stay-shifters required is equal to the number of strand-wires less one, although one slide may constitute several shifters where the spaces between strand-wires are equal.

My invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved wire-fabric machine; Fig. 2, a broken side elevational view, showing the front portion of the machine; Fig. 3, a broken side elevational view supplementing Fig. 2 and showing the rear portion of the machine with the extreme rear end broken away; Fig. 3, an enlarged view further illustrating a detail of the means whereby the feed of the wire from which the stays are formed is intermittently interrupted to permit the stays to be severed, this means being shown in full in Fig. 3; Fig. 4, an enlarged plan view of the rear portion of the machine; Fig. 5, a transverse section taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 1 and showing the front ends of the rotary longitudinally-reciprocating stay-wrappers and showing also the means for rotating and reciprocating said wrappers; Fig. 6, a broken vertical longitudinal sectional view taken as indicated at line 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a transverse vertical section taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. l and showing the transversely-reciprocating cam and the racks carried therewith, which are employed for reciprocating the wrappers or knotters and rotating the same; Fig. 7, a broken transverse section taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 1 and showing a detail of the improved take-up drum employed; Fig. 7 a section taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 7; Fig 7", a broken plan section taken as indicated at line 7of Fig. '7; Fig. 8, a plan section taken as indicated at line 8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a broken plan view showing the transversely-reciprocating cam; Fig. 10, a broken transverse section taken as indicated at line 10 of Fig. 9 and showing the means for operating the stay-severin device; Fig. 11, a section" longitudinally of the machine and taken as indicated at line 11 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12, a section taken as indicated at line 12 of Fig. 10; Fig. 13, a broken section taken as indicated at line 13 of Fig. 9 and showing the details of adjustable stops employed in connection with the means for reciprocating the stay-wrappers; Fig. 14, a transverse vertical section taken as indicated at line 14 of Fig. 1 and looking toward the rear end of the machine; Fig. 15, a broken longitudinal sectional View taken as indicated at line 15 of Fig. 17 and showing ,a

detail of one of the stay-w rappers and the stayshifters; Fig. 15,-a section taken as indicated at line 15 of Fig. 15 and showing a detail of a wrapper-head or hook employed; Fig. 15 a side elevational view of a removable plug employed within the wrapper-head to center the strand-wire, said plug being automatically detached when encountered by a knot in the strand-wire; Fig. 15, a section taken as indicated at line 15of Fig. 15 Fig. 16, a broken plan section taken as indicated at line 16 of Fig. 6 and showing the relative position of the parts after the first stay-shifter has operated to carry the stay across the first two strandwires, bending one end portion of the stay at right angles to the main portion of the stay and bringing it within the grasp of the hooks of the first two stay-wrappers; Fig. 17, a similar section showing the position of the parts after the first two stay-wrappers have advanced and performed their operations and the first stay-shifter has returned for another stay; Fig. 18, a transverse vertical section taken as indicated at line 18 of Fig. 16, but showing the parts in adifferent positionviz. in the position which they occupy when the first stay-shifter is about to receive a stay from the stay-severing mechanism and to transfer the same across the first two strandwires; Fig. 19, a similar section showing the parts in the positions corresponding with the positions shown in Fig. 16; Fig. 20, a longitudinal plan sectional view through the staysevering mechanism. the section being taken as indicated atline 20 of Fig. 1 1; Fig. 21, a broken transverse vertical section taken as indicated at line 21 of Fig. 20; Fig. 22, a section taken as indicated at line 22 of Fig. 20 and showing the stay-severing rotary knife; Fig. 22, a section taken as indicated at line 22 of Fig. 20; Fig. 22", a broken section taken as indicated at line 22 of Fig. 22*; Fig. 23, a broken transverse vertical section through the machine, taken as indicated at line 23 of Fig. 4 and showing a detail of the means for feeding wire from a spool to the stay-severing mechanism and showing also a detail of endless-chain mechanism equipped with hooks for preventing deflection of the strand-wires from their proper course while the stays are being applied and also for stretching or straightening the stays after they have been applied; Fig. 21, a broken elevational view showing the manner in which one of said hooks engages a strand-wire; Fig. 25, a broken transverse vertical section taken as indicated at line 25 of Fig. 1 and showing a detail of the mechanism employed for imparting a spiral or wavy form to the strand-wires; Fig. 26, a brokenlongitudinal section taken as indicated at line 26 of Fig. 25; Fig. 27, a section taken as indicated at line 27 of Fig. 26; Fig. 28, a broken view taken as indicated at line 28 of Fig. 4 and showing a tension device for the stay adjacent to the head of the last staywrapper; Fig. 29, a perspective view showing the head ,of the first stay-wrapper; Fig. 30, a perspective View showing the head of an intermediate stay-wrapper; Fig. 31, a perspective view showing the head of the last stay-wrapper; Fig. 32, a side elevational view of the member shown in Fig. 31 looking at ,the point of the hook; Fig. 33, a view of the hook, taken as indicated at line 33 of Fig. 32; Fig. 3 1, a view illustrating the first stay-wrapper in the operation of forming the knot at the top or first strand-wire; Fig. 35, a similar view showing the knot completed; Fig. 36, a view showing an intermediate wrapper in process of forming a knot, and Fig. 37 a view showing said knot completed.

A general description of the preferred construction will now be given, and this will be followed by a detailed description of the parts.

A represents the frame of the machine, which may be of any suitable construction; B, a wiremeasuring feed-drum at the front end of the frame over which the strand-wires are fed into the machine and which is now of well-known construction; C, improved mechanism for imparting spirals or waves to the strand-wires, which mechanism is located slightly in the rear of the drum B; D, a shaft in the rear of the mechanism 0 and equipped with a pulley D, through which power is applied to the machine; E, a counter-shaft actuated by a gear E, meshing with a pinion E on one end of the shaft D, the counter-shaft E serving to transmit power to the several mechanisms of the machine; F, a transversely-reciprocating slide equipped with cams for reciprocating the staywrappers and with racks for rotating the same; G to G, inclusive, a series of rotary longitudinally reciprocating stay wrappers, the first two wrappers having hooks or heads operating between common transverse planes and having opposite movements of rotation and like movements of reciprocation and the remaining Wrappers having hooks occupying successively advanced positions, alternate wrappers. commencing with the second one, having like movements of reciprocation and rotation and the remaining alternate wrappers having like movements of reciprocation and rotation which are opposed to the movements of reciprocation and rotation of the first-named alternate Wrappers; Hto H inclusive, aseries of transversely-reciprocating slides, each constituting one or more stay-shifters; H", a stationary frame-carried member which serves to engage the rear-end portions of the stays as they are in succession shifted across the first and second wrappers, thereby bending said end portions at right angles to the main portions of the stays; I, a rock-shaft equipped with arms joined by connecting-rods to said slides, said rock-shaft being journaled in suitable bearings at the rear side of the top-portion of the frame; J severing and feeding mechanism for severing the stays from the spool supplying the same and delivering the same to the first stayshifter, said mechanism being located'at the front side of the top portion of the frame; J, Figs. 3 and mechanism for feeding wire from a spool J to the knives of the mechanism J; K, endless-chain mechanism serving to maintain the fence in proper position .in its passage through the machine and serving also to stretch and straighten the stay-wires; L, a drum over which the fence passes on its way to the take-up drum, and M an improved takeup drumjournaled in the rear end of the frame.

Power is communicated from the shaft E to the shaft of the drum B through the medium of suitable sprocket-wheels connected by a sprocket-chain a; from the shaftE to the transversely -reciprocating slide F by means of bevel-gears a and a short longitudinal shaft (0 Fig. 7, equipped with a crank (0 from the shaft E to the shaft of the take-up drum M through the medium of pulleys connected by a belt a"; from the shaft E to a short transverse shaft a Figs. 3 and 7, through the medium of sprocket-wheels connected by a sprocket-chain a, and from the shaft E through the medium of sprocket-Wheels and a sprocket-chain a to a short transverse shaft (t which actuates the mechanism 0. Power is transmitted from the shaft a through the medium of sprocket-wheels and a link belt a, Fig. 4:, to the drum L, the endless-chain mechanism K being actuated from the shaft of the drum L, and from the shaft (0 through the medium of bevel-gears a and shaft a Figs. 3 and 7. and bevel-gears a to a transverse shaft a, which serves to drive the wire-feeding means for supplying the wirefrom which the stays are formed. The shaft (5 is, furthermore, equipped with a cam a, Figs. 3, 7, and 14, which serves to actuate a link a, con nected with a short arm a on the rock-shaft I. Said shaft is also equipped with a balancewheel a".

The frame A preferably comprises suitable transverse members A, Fig. 5, longitudinal I-beams A for the front portion of the frame 1 joined by cross members supported thereon, Fig. 1, longitudinal I-beams A forming the side members of the main portion of the frame, transverse frame members A", consti- There are two transverse frame members 0 0,

supported on the I-beams A as shown in Fig. 1. Onthese members are journaled a series of shafts 0 which are equipped with sprocket-wheels 0 The shafts are actuated through the medium of said sprocket-wheels by means of the sprocket-chain 0, passing over idlers 0 supported from the frame members 0 by short standards 0, which have bolt connection with a slot 0 in said frame member, permitting adjustment. The standards themselves are adjustable vertically upon their bolts. The sprocket chain passes about sprocket-wheels 0 0 0 0 ,215 shown in Fig. 25. The sprocket-wheel o is on a shaft 0 parallel with the shafts 0 said shaft 0 being equipped with a bevel-gear 0 meshing with a bevel-gear a on the shaft a as shown in Fig. 1. Thus the shafts 0 are operated through the medium of the chain a and the shaft (6 Each shaft 0 is tubular to receive a strandwire and has its portion between bearings cut away and suitably bent to enable grooved rollers 0 0 0 0 having their axes at angles of substantially ninety degrees to each other, to be applied as shown in Fig. 26. The rollers are journaled on studs 0, adjustable in slots 0 as shown in Fig. 27. It will now be understood that as a strand-wire passes through one of the shafts 0 and about the rollers carried thereby the shaft rotating as indicated. produces a spiral or wave in the strand-wire.

The shaft 1) is journaled in bearings d d, supported on the I-beams A The shaft E is journaled in bearings e a, supported on the I-beams A adjustable cams f.

The slide F comprises, Figs. 5 to 13, inclusive, an upper member f, Figs. 6 and 7, a lower member f, and end spacing members f f From the lower member depends a bracket f, comprising a cam-slot in which the crank (0 works. Attached to the upper surface of the upper member f is a pair of adjustable cams f, and attached to the lower surface of the bottom member f is a pair of These cams have slots which extend in a general transverse direction with relation to the machine, but are somewhat oblique with relation to the longitudinal axis of the machine. The obliquity of the upper set of cams is opposed to the obliquity of the lower set of cams, as is indicated'" in Fig. 9. Working in the upper set of cams are rollers depending from longitudinally-extending slide-bars f, which move in guides f. The front ends of the slide-bars f are connected by a transverse member from which depend suitably-spaced bearings f for the front ends of the tubular shafts of the wrappers G, G G G and G. Working in the slots of the cams f are rollers f, journaled on upwardly-projecting studs f, at-

tached to longitudinally-reciprocating slidebars f, working in guides f. The front ends of the slide-bars f are joined by a cross member f, with which are connected upwardly-projecting blocks or bearings f for the front ends of the shafts of the staywrappers G Gr G G G The front ends of the slide-bars f" have adjustably connected therewith by a detail of construction shown in Fig. 13 Z-shaped clips f, constituting stops which coact with resilient washers f at the front surface of the frame member A. Similarly the front ends of the slide-bars f are equipped with adjustable clips f, which coact with yielding washers f. These washers are retained by pins, as shown, and may be replaced as required. The cross frame members A are provided at their lower portions with inturned flanges f upon which the slide F rests, and the members A therefore form a guide for the slide F. The upper member f of the slide F is equipped on the front half of its lower surface with a rack f and the lower member f is equipped on the rear half of its upper surface with a rack f The cams f and f are adjustable upon their respective platesff' by a detail of construction shown in Fig. 9. Each cam, which is cast separately from its plate, is provided at its ends with a short projecting stem f which is adjustable transversely of the plate by means of set-screws f, between which the stem lies, and against the ends of the stems bear setscrews f The set screws pass through suitable lugs on the outer surfaces of the plates and are suitably secured against jarring loose. Rollersf journaled in bearingsf upon the frame members A*, serve to confine the slide F against the flanges f.

The cam-slots are so shaped as to give acomparatively fast movement of reciprocation to the stay-wrappers to compensate for the loss which occurs during shifting of the stays and then to cause a slower advance of the wrappers to produce spreading of the knot on the strand-wire and finally to give a faster advance to cause the stay to wrap on itself, as illustrated in Figs. 34: to 37, inclusive.

The stay-wrappers G to G inclusive, comprise shafts of successively-increasing length, with the exception of the first two shafts, which are of the same length. Each shaft comprises two members joined by a couplingsleeve 5 as shown in Fig. 8. The front portions of the shafts of alternate Wrappers, commencing with G, are equipped with pinions 9, which mesh with the rack f Alternate spindles or shafts of the wrappers, commencing with Gr and ending with Gr, are equipped with pinions g meshing with the rack f. The spindle of the wrapper G is equipped with a gear g meshing with a pinion gfi on the spindle of the wrapper G,whereby the wrapper G is given a faster rotation than the wrapper Gr and in the opposite direction. The spindle of the wrapper Gr is equipped with a gear meshing with a pinion g on the spindle of the wrapper G whereby the wrapper G is given a faster r0.- tation than the wrapper G. All the intermediate wrappers have the same rate of rotation. The spindles are provided with collars engaging the bearing-blocks f f, so that the spindles are reciprocated through the medium of said bearing-blocks. The wrapper G has a head 9 Fig. 29, equipped with a hook or wire bearing adapted to wind an end of the stay in one direction about the first or top strand-wire. The intermediate wrappers are equipped with heads g", provided with hooks g adapted to wrap the stay in the direction opposite the direction in which thehook g operates, and the last W rapper G is equipped with a head g, provided with a hook g, adapted to wrap the wire in the same direction as does the hook g Each wrapper-head is tubular and is provided with awithdrawable perforate plug 9 as shown in detail Figs. 15 to 15, inclusive. The plugis provided with a removable sector g, which is cut out of the block between substantially radial planes and equipped with a lug g working in a radial slot g in the body of the plug. This arrangement permits the strand-wire to be inserted from the side of the plug. The plug has acircumferential groove 9", and the wrapper-head is provided with a series of perforations g tangential to the bottom of the groove and into any one of which a wooden pin g may be driven to removably secure the centeringblock in place. Each wrapping-head is suitably undercut at the base of its hook to enable the hook to take hold upon the stay. Each head is provided adjacent to the base of the inner side of its hook with a transverse groove 9 to enable the hook of the appropriate shifter to cross and bring the stay within the grasp of the hook. Each wrapper-head except the first one is provided in substantial alinement with one surface of this hook with a longitudinal groove g for accommodating that portion of the stay which lies parallel with the strand-Wire during the wrapping operation. The spindle of each wrapper has splined thereon a plurality of short sleeves or perforate disks g having at one side a longitudinally-extending groove or notch g in substantial alinement with the longitudinal groove in the wrapper-head. These short sleeves, which may be termed rotary stay-carriers. are journaled near the upper edges of raised bar-form portions 9 of cerrtain of the cross-frame members A, as shown in Figs. 8 and 14, their bearings being open at Y the top, so that the sleeves project slightly thereabove. Thesleevesareheldagainstlongitudinal movement, while the spindles upon which they are splined reciprocate longitudinally by means of plates 5 which plates are provided with openings of somewhatless diameter than the outside diameter of the sleeves, as shown in Fig. 15. The several wrapperspindles should be equipped with said sleeves in sufficient number to receive the successively-unused portions of the stays which lie parallel with the spindles, thereby insuring the proper carriage of the stays around the strand-wires during the knotting operations. The raised portions g of such of the cross members A as are equipped therewith are located between the appropriate longitudinal planes to afford bearings for the rotary staycarriers, and usually the near ends of the plates project beyond the adjacent portions of the parts 9 and have downturned points which receive the unused portions of the stays from the rotary carriers when the stay-shifters operate to shift the stays from the rotary carriers of one wrapper to the rotary carriers of the next wrapper.

The slides of the H series are respectively joined, by pairs of connecting-rods it, it, 73, it, 70, and M to the arms /t on the rock-shaft I, the members of each pair of arms being of appropriate length to give to the corresponding slide the desired range of movement. Each slide comprises a longitudinal bar 71, to which the corresponding connecting-rods are joined, and a series of blocks it which slide upon the portions g of the frame members A and are provided with downturned flanges it, which overlap the upper margins of the plates Q25. Where the series of blocks attached to a bar comprises a single stayshifter said blocks are provided at their flanges with a set of notches 72/ extending longitudinally of the machine and transversely of said blocks, and where a series of blocks attached to a bar constitute a compound shifter said blocks are provided with two or more series of alined notches h, the number of series of notches depending upon the number of stays which are to be shifted by the slide. In Fig. 14, for instance, there are shown three slides each provided with a series of notches and a fourth block provided with two series of notches. As has been pointed out, a single slide may be employed for shifting two or more stays where there are uniform spaces between strand wires. The notches ft may be brought into registration with the grooves Q23 of the rotary stay-carriers to enable the shifters to engage the unused portions of the stays and shift the stays. The movements of the parts are so timed that the slides are in position to receive the stays at the moment that the stays are ready to be transferred. Corresponding with what may be termed the hook formed at the notch h of each rearmost block of each shifter is a hook h adapted to coact with the books of the wrapper-heads, each hook standing out a short distance in advance of its block, as will be understood from Fig. 17. As shown in Figs. 1,5 and 18, there is provided adjacent to the head of each stay-wrapper a stationary tension-ring b1 having its top portion removed, and this tension-ring is supplemented by a cap portion 72., carried by the corresponding block 72, When the block it is in place over the bearing of the wrapperspindle, the tension-ring acts to bend the strand-wire, as shown somewhat exaggeratedly in Fig. 15. At the last Wrapper-head a somewhat different form of tension-ring is provided, as shown in Fig. 28. Here the tension-ring/z bears its own top or cap I1 and is cutaway at it to permit the stay to enter. As shown in this figure also, the last series of blocks if have their flanges cutaway, as indicated at it, to enable the last wrapper to carry its stay around its strand-wire while the last shifter is returning to secure a fresh stay. The inside diameters of the tensionrings should of course be small enough with relation to the diameter of the wrapper-heads and the rotary stay-carriers to give the desired tension on the stays.

The shaft I is journaled in bearings i, with which certain of the transverse frame members A are provided near their rear ends, as will appear from Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 4, 8, l7, and 20 to 22 inclusive, the mechanism J, which serves to sever the stays from the spool supplying the same and deliver the same to the first of the stay-shifters, comprisesja longitudinally-extending shaft j, provided circumferentially with longitudinal grooves the shaft being journaled in bearings Fig. 20, a guardj Fig. 22, grooved at its front side to receive the rear portion of the shaft j, a reduced portion or stem 7", Fig. 8, extending forwardly from the front end of the main portion of the shaft and equipped atits' front end with afour-sided actuating-head f Figs. to l2,inclusive, which is notched near its four corners to permit a pawl 1', carried by the slide F, to engage it and turn the shaft 7 a quarter-revolution at each full reciprocation of the slide, a cutter-head 7' Figs. 20 and 22, applied to a squared reduced portion of the shaft 7' near the rear end thereof, a longitudinally-adjustable bearing-block 7' Figs. 8 and 20. through which a round reduced rear end portion of the shaft jextends, which reduced portion is equipped at the rear end of the bearing with nuts, as shown in Fig. 20, and a tempered cutting member j, coacting with the cutter f. The bearing j is provided with a perforation 1 and the cutting member 7' is perforated and set into the bearing-block j in alinement with the perforationj The wire for forming the stays is fed to the perforation 7' through a tube 1'. At proper intervals the shaft 7' is provided with circumferential grooves j, which serve to receive the flanges of the blocks and the hook of the first stay-shifter. The shaft is shown provided with four of the longitudinal grooves j; but it is obviousthat as many grooves may be provided as desired. While the shaft is stationary the wire is fed into the groove thereof which happens to be in alinement with the perforation 7' of the bearingblock i and when the shaft is next revolved the wire is severed and the stay carried upwardly into a position to be engaged by the first stay-shifter, as shown in Fig. 22. The front ends of the plates which reach the shaft 1', are provided with downwardly-curved projections 1' which insure the stay passing properly onto the cross members of the frame when the first stay-shifter operates to transfer the stay from the severing mechanism across the first two strand-wires. Where the transverse circumferential grooves 1' occur in the shaft 7', the grooves y" are provided with bell-shaped ends 1' to insure the entrance of the wire which is to be fed in for forming the stay.

The mechanism J which serves to deliver the stay-formingwi-re from the spool J will be understood by reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 23. It comprises a gear-wheel 1' secured on the near end of the shaft (613 to rotate there with, an idler 1 a change-gearj", journaled on a stud j, adjustable in a curved slot 7' of a frame member 7' a gear 1", meshing with the gear 1'" and secured to the near end of a short shaft a gear 7' secured on the shaft j, pinions f 9' meshing with the gear ,7' and secured on short shafts f equipped at their inner ends with grooved feed-wheels j J and gears j, meshing with the gears f and secured on short shafts 1' equipped at their inner ends with feed-wheelsy' coacting with the feed-wheelsj 7' As shown in Fig. 23, the bearings for the shafts J are pivotally'supported on horizontal pins 1' eX- tending longitudinally of the machine. The bearings are yieldingly held by means of setscrews 7, bearing upon plates 1' which in turn bear against rubber blocks f resting against the bearings. This arrangement enables the grip of the feed-wheels upon the stay-forming wire to be adjusted as desired. As appears from Figs. 3 and 3, the gear 1' has a number of its teeth cut away at 1' and is equipped adjacent to this point at its near side with a tooth f, while the gear 1' is equipped at its near side with a member 1' provided with rollers j coacting with the tooth J The purpose of this arrangement is to permit the gear-wheel j to stand still at intervals while the gear 1' continues to rotate, so that the feed of the stay-forming wire drawn toward the far side of the machine in i the operation of the machine and for straightening the stays after they have been applied to the strand-wires will be understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, 21 and 23.

The shaft of the drum L is equipped at its near end with a gear Z, which meshes with a gear Z on a transversely-extending shaft Z The shaft Z is equipped near its ends with sprocket-wheels Z Z". A relatively long endless chain Z passes about the sprocket-wheel Z and a sprocket-Wheel Z, attached to a stubshaft Z supported in a bearing Z which is adjustable longitudinally of the machine, as shown in Fig. 4. A relatively short sprocketchain Z" passes about the sprocket-wheel Z and a sprocket-wheel Z fixed to a shaft Z, journaled in a bearing Z. The sprocket-chains arev equipped with bifurcated hooks Z as shown in Fig. 24. The chains are equipped at intervals with downwardly projecting studs equipped with rollers Z which engage the outer surfaces of longitudinal cams Z Z. The cams Z Z have outward swells or curves Z, which serve to spread the chains, and thereby stretch or straighten the stays before the fence passes over the drum L. The endless chains are disposed above the cams, and the lower portions of the chains move rearwardly at the same rate of speed as does the fence, the hooks upon the chains being so disposed as to point downwardly at the lower portions of the chains. The hooks are so spaced that the bifurcations embrace the stays, as shown in Fig. 24. 

